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theguardian.com
UK flight disruption expected to clear; Primark to start offering home delivery in Great Britain – business live
Flight schedules expected to return to normal after chaos of last two daysHere is our full story on Primark starting to offer home delivery in Britain – it’s a bit of a moment.Independent retail analyst Nick Bubb said:We flagged last Friday that there has been plenty of speculation about tough trading in the John Lewis department store business and we assumed that overall first-half sales would have been something like 3% down, with ‘big ticket’ products taking a beating, but on an ex-VAT basis the fall was 4% and the biggest fall (-4.8%) was in fashion.And, despite good work on margin and cost control, that sort of top-line drop hit the bottom line at John Lewis, with the usual H1 operating loss up from £53m to £83m this year (we expected £80m). Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
England's mayors to be given power to introduce tourist tax
The government is expected to detail how local leaders will be able to impose levies on overnight stays.
bbc.co.uk
Primark takes further step into online shopping with home deliveries
The retailer launches the service four years after making its first foray into internet shopping.
cnbc.com
World’s largest contract chipmaker TSMC sees August revenue surge over 53% to record high
TSMC reported monthly sales revenue for August on Thursday.
theguardian.com
John Lewis losses widen to £124m as shopper confidence dips
Retailer says higher costs also hit first-half figures as group pursues its turnaround plan, though Waitrose grew sales Losses at the owner of John Lewis and Waitrose widened by more than 40% in the first half of the year as it struggled with higher costs and with shoppers feeling less confident about their money.The John Lewis Partnership, which operates 36 department stores and more than 300 Waitrose supermarkets, said its pre-tax loss for the six months to 1 August climbed to £124m, compared with £88m in the same period in 2025. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
'Saved the day': How China helped keep the lid on oil price surge as Iran war disrupted supplies
China's crude stockpiling and subsequent pullback on purchases since the war erupted in late February has helped the world avoid a deeper energy crisis.
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: The Trump 'Dividend': $5,000 for control of Congress
The promise of a payment, and a claim oil will "come tumbling down" are the key takeaways from President Trump's speech at the Republican's convention.
cnbc.com
UBS CEO flags investor complacency as geopolitical and economic risks mount
The UBS top boss cautioned that investors face an increasingly complicated environment given multiple headwinds.
cnbc.com
Oil reverses course to slip, but Brent stays above $100 a barrel on Mideast worries
Oil prices remain elevated amid worries that escalating tensions in the Middle East could further exacerbate supply disruptions
cnbc.com
Coinbase CEO sees U.S. crypto regulation advancing regardless of Clarity Act vote
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says U.S. crypto regulation could move forward regardless of the outcome of the Clarity Act.
bbc.co.uk
Buy now or wait and hope? Families face gamble on heating oil
The price of heating oil has almost doubled in 12 months following the conflict in the Middle East.
bbc.co.uk
Social supermarket reports hundreds of sign-ups
Dartford Larder members pay £4.50 each week for items including unlimited fruit and vegetables.
theguardian.com
‘Fundamentally unfair’: Burnham must overhaul migration reforms, says TUC general secretary
Paul Nowak says changes to immigration rules risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentimentAndy Burnham must overhaul Shabana Mahmood’s migration reforms or risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentiment, the TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, has warned.Speaking ahead of the TUC’s annual congress in Brighton next week, Nowak welcomed the “sense of optimism” around Burnham’s fledgling government, but he urged the PM to act in a series of areas, including migration and the cost of living. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
An ECB rate hike is ‘all but certain’ — but investors divided on what comes next
The central bank is contending with rising prices, the consequences of the U.S.-Iran war, and surging government borrowing costs.
cnbc.com
Samsung works to draw iPhone users to its foldables even as Apple enters the market
Samsung is drawing more iPhone users to its foldables as Apple’s rumored entry threatens to reshape the market.
cnbc.com
Ant International partners with Visa, Mastercard on developing AI payments
Visa, Mastercard and Ant International are working on common standards for AI-agent payments — including ways to verify and monitor their transactions.
theguardian.com
Anthropic researchers say AI could cause human extinction by 2030
One researcher who resigned said many in industry believe that without regulation AI could kill off humanityArtificial intelligence could kill off humanity within the decade, according to three researchers with the industry giant Anthropic, one of whom has quit his job in protest.The latest doom-laden predictions came in posts on social media on Tuesday by a researcher who said he resigned because Anthropic and his previous employer, OpenAI, were ignoring or, at best, mishandling their response to the threat. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Inside India newsletter: India’s green push aims to boost energy security but exposes China dependency
India's ambition to create a self-reliant energy ecosystem by expanding its renewable energy footprint is facing a China problem.
bbc.co.uk
Tax banks to give some households energy bill cut, unions tell Burnham
The TUC says a bank surcharge should be reversed - and estimates it would raise £9bn over four years.
cnbc.com
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman makes surprise video appearance at GOP midterm convention
Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, vowed to "work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the Steel Valley."
bbc.co.uk
AI is becoming harder to control – can humans stay in charge?
AI agents went on an uncontrolled hacking spree, leaving some in the industry worried
bbc.co.uk
The one thing you need to do to succeed - according to top bosses
What makes someone stand out in a crowded workplace? Six business leaders tell us what they look for.
theguardian.com
Chancellor urged to fix £100k childcare ‘cliff edge’ that prompts parents to cut work
Threshold pushes some to reduce hours or stop working to avoid losing entitlement, report warns John Healey has been urged to fix the £100,000 childcare “cliff edge”, that means some higher-paid employees cut back on work to avoid losing their entitlement.Since the latest expansion of taxpayer-funded childcare in 2024, families with young children in which both parents earn less than £100,000 a year can be entitled to 30 hours a week of care - or none at all, if one of them cross that threshold. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Conversations from Goldman Sachs' Communacopia: AI blowback, broadband and Disney's free tier
CoreWeave CEO Mike Intrator spoke to CNBC at the Goldman Sachs' Communacopia + Technology Conference this week.
bbc.co.uk
Apple's new boss starts with big gamble on costly first folding iPhone
Apple showed off at an event the first major design change to the iPhone in almost 20 years.
cnbc.com
Trump says oil and gas prices won't fall until 'right after' midterm election
President Donald Trump said energy prices that have been elevated due to the Iran war will not come down until after the midterm elections.
cnbc.com
What a historic summer box office reveals about massive shifts in the theatrical industry
The domestic box office posted a record-breaking summer movie season, which was bolstered by an extra week of ticket sales and higher-priced premium screenings.
theguardian.com
Oil prices rise above $100 a barrel for first time since July as Iran war escalates
Brent crude up by more than 3% after latest fire between US and Iran in Gulf and Houthi attacks on Saudi citiesThe price of oil has risen above $100 a barrel for the first time since July as the escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens further disruption to global supplies.Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose by more than 3% to top $101 after tensions increased in the Gulf amid the latest tit-for-tat exchange of fire between the US and Iran. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Apple unveils folding iPhone Duo as new CEO takes center stage
The passport-size iPhone Duo serves as the first big test for John Ternus, who took over for Tim Cook last weekApple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone and the most significant change to the iPhone since the smartphone’s introduction in 2007.The nearly $2,000 device takes inspiration from iPads’ wide screens and combines them with the portability and camera features of iPhones. When opened, it is the company’s largest phone display and thinnest phone. The Duo opens and closes like a passport to double its screen size. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘Baggage reclaim was pandemonium’: passengers hit by airport IT chaos in UK recount their ordeals
From hours stuck on planes awaiting takeoff, to sleeping the night on the floor at Heathrow. Here are some travellers’ experiencesMore than 2,000 flights have been cancelled after an air traffic control system failure that has thrown airports across the UK into chaos. Nats, the air traffic control provider, fixed the problem within hours on Tuesday, but hundreds of thousands of passengers were hit by further delays and cancellations on Wednesday.Martin Rolfe, the chief executive of Nats, has been given a week to report back on the reasons for the technical failure. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Treasury Department to buy back up to $6 billion in longer-term debt, triple the normal level
The much-anticipated announcement triples the normal buyback operation and follows an announcement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
bbc.co.uk
Air traffic failure was avoidable, says transport secretary
Heidi Alexander orders an investigation into the glitch that caused more than 2,000 flight cancellations.
cnbc.com
Experts weigh in as researcher says AI has more than 10% chance of 'killing all humans'
Jacob Coxon said in a post on X that Anthropic and OpenAI are "gambling with our lives."
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on UK-EU relations: voters would reward greater ambition | Editorial
The architects of Brexit know it has failed. That presents Andy Burnham with an opportunity to set a bolder new agendaModesty is not a trait commonly associated with Nigel Farage. Something else must explain the Reform UK leader’s reluctance to talk about what is undoubtedly his biggest achievement.Few individuals can boast of having influenced British politics as drastically as Mr Farage, with his record of campaigning for Brexit before that word was even coined. He will for ever be associated with the demand for emancipation from Brussels, but is rarely heard celebrating its completion. It barely earned a mention in speeches at his party’s annual conference last week. The simple reason is that none of the promises made about the benefits of life outside the EU have been fulfilled. Leaving made the country poorer, and voters know it.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s oil deal: Venezuela pays for his vanity | Editorial
The US president seized a nation’s natural wealth in a modern-day version of gunboat diplomacy to feed his ego – not to lower Americans’ fuel billsImperialism does not require a flag to be planted or a governor dispatched. It can be a powerful nation deciding who governs a smaller, weaker country, and on what terms and for whose benefit its resources will be developed. Donald Trump’s kidnapping of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, putting his deputy – Delcy Rodríguez – in his place as president, and then her signing a deal handing a fifth of the country’s proven oil reserves to the US, amount to a modern version of 19th-century gunboat diplomacy. Regime change supplied America’s commercial concession.This won’t bother Mr Trump. But it should. The US president has oversold his neocolonial spoils. The additional production Venezuela is supposed to bring online might bring down oil prices eventually, but not anytime soon. Crucially, what Mr Trump calls “the biggest oil deal in history” won’t cause the price at the pump to fall before November’s midterms. When so many American voters are struggling to pay energy bills, it’s hard to see how unrealised Orinoco Belt riches are going to help Republican candidates.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Silver Lake to merge two software firms in $11.6 billion bet on AI
French firms Cegid, which sells business management software, and Silae, a payroll and HR platform, are set to combine.
bbc.co.uk
Share Energy to increase electricity prices by 12.6%
The supplier said the industry has faced "exceptional volatility" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.
cnbc.com
U.S. reveals import ban on slew of Canadian goods as trade war escalates
Import bans on motorbikes, alcohol and dairy products are due to come into effect on Sept. 29 as the rift between the countries deepens.
theguardian.com
Air traffic control boss given a week to report after UK flight chaos causes 2,000 cancellations
Government remains confident in under-pressure Martin Rolfe but transport secretary believes glitch was avoidableHow have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption?The head of the air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to report back on the reasons for a technical failure that grounded thousands of flights, as the transport secretary said she did “not believe the issue was unavoidable”.Heidi Alexander said on Tuesday she had also commissioned an independent review by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) into the latest Nats meltdown, which severely disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Anthropic researcher believes more than 10% chance AI 'could kill all humans'
It is the latest in a series of increasing warnings about the safety threat posed by artificial intelligence.
bbc.co.uk
Sapporo to move some beer production from Canada to US after tariffs
The Japanese brewer plans to shift non-alcoholic beer brewing to the US from Canada as tariffs bite
bbc.co.uk
More flight cancellations as fallout from air traffic control glitch continues
Departures from a number of airports are affected by a technical problem affecting air traffic control provider Nats.
cnbc.com
U.S. denies claims Iran struck two American vessels in retaliation for earlier strikes
The U.S. denied Iran’s claim that it struck two American vessels as the two sides traded attacks near the Strait of Hormuz and Brent crude hit $100 a barrel.
bbc.co.uk
What tariffs will really cost Canadians and Americans
Households and businesses have become used to tariffs impacting the cost of living for more than year now, so what will change now?
cnbc.com
AI data centers won't create as many UK jobs as the tech sector projects, think tank warns
A new analysis is challenging claims about how many permanent jobs the U.K.'s data center industry will create as billions pour into AI infrastructure.
bbc.co.uk
Petrol prices rise by 5p over a week as Iran war sends oil higher
A litre of unleaded now costs 167.17p which is the biggest weekly increase since April, data shows.
bbc.co.uk
Learner drivers still forced to wait months to book tests
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency had been given a target to reduce average wait times to seven weeks.
theguardian.com
EU unveils ‘buy European’ public procurement rules to counter China
Authorities and public bodies to be urged to buy goods and services from Europe, but without binding quotasEuropean authorities will be encouraged to buy more domestic goods and services when they spend public money under the EU latest effort to counter China’s economic might.In a further “Buy European” plan, the European Commission published proposals on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of EU public procurement rules. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
UK airport disruption: what are your rights if you have been affected?
The software failure that affected the air traffic control system on Tuesday has been resolved, but disruption continues into WednesdayNats boss summoned by UK transport secretary as flight chaos enters second dayHow have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption?Airports across the UK including Manchester, Birmingham and all those in London were thrown into chaos by a technical failure in the air traffic control system on Tuesday.Although the air traffic control provider Nats fixed the problem within hours, the fallout continued to cause flight delays and cancellations on Wednesday. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Electronic shelf labels likely to cost jobs and drive up grocery prices, US report warns
AFL-CIO calls for ban on such labels to protect consumers and workers from surveillance pricing and job cutsThe universal adoption of electronic shelf labels in grocery stores across the US could cost tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in lost wages while further driving up grocery costs, according to a report released on Tuesday.An analysis by the AFL-CIO Tech Institute of the label manufacturers’ own marketing materials found the universal adoption of electronic shelf labels, which are marketed to retailers as a cost-cutting measure, could cost workers between $1.6bn and $6.9bn in lost wages annually and affect between 44,223 and 191,633 jobs. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Trump's oil investments have gained millions during Iran war as his accounts keep trading
Donald Trump retained major oil and gas investments as the Iran war has moved energy markets. CNBC analyzed his holdings, trades and estimated gains.
bbc.co.uk
US to ban imports of some Canadian alcohol, dairy goods and motorbikes
It is the latest strike in a long trade war, and comes after Canadian counter-tariffs on US goods come into force.
theguardian.com
US allies lack resources to keep pace on AI, top Pentagon official says
Cameron Stanley talks up ‘revolutionary’ AI capabilities and says Washington working with Nato and Five Eyes partnersThe Pentagon’s top artificial intelligence official said on Tuesday that America’s closest allies lack the resources to keep pace with the US military’s adoption of AI, and that Washington is working to steer them away from mistakes it made along the way.“They don’t have the resources that we do, they don’t have the experience that we do, they don’t have the scale that we do,” Cameron Stanley, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the Department of Defense, said at an event at the Billington Cybersecurity summit. Of Nato and the Five Eyes, an intelligence-sharing partnership of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Stanley said Washington was “actively working with a number of our partners” so “they don’t make the same mistakes that we make”. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Google to invest record $15 billion in AI infrastructure in the 'Texas of Europe'
Google on Wednesday said it would invest $15.1 billion into AI infrastructure in Finland, marking the tech giant's largest single investment in Europe.
cnbc.com
UK air traffic chief rules out cyber attack after massive disruption at Heathrow
"We have at this point ruled out cyber," the head of NATS said Wednesday, as airlines slammed the organization for a third major failure in three years.
cnbc.com
Trump told Putin U.S.-Russia ties could be 'fully restored' with swift end to Ukraine war, Kremlin says
The leaders were said to have discussed recent U.S. envoy visits to Moscow and Kyiv as peace talks remain stalled.
cnbc.com
Asia’s ultra-rich are moving their money. Here's where it's going
Asia's ultra-rich still like gold, but they're branching out to digital assets as well, Maybank Singapore's CEO said.
cnbc.com
OpenAI claims to have solved the 90-year-old Navier-Stokes math problem in 88 hours
OpenAI says 10,000 of its agents solved the 90-year-old Navier-Stokes problem in 88 hours, but one mathematician has challenged the claim.
theguardian.com
Supercar maker McLaren to create 1,000 UK jobs in £450m tech investment
New roles at Woking-based centre a welcome boost to ailing automotive industryThe British supercar manufacturer McLaren is to create 1,000 jobs in a welcome boost to the UK’s struggling automotive industry.The carmaker is creating the jobs as part of a £450m investment in its technology centre in Woking, Surrey, near to the plant where it manufactures all of its vehicles. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Flights are cancelled owing to air traffic control problems, so what are your rights if you're affected?
theguardian.com
I co-founded an orchestra 18 years ago. Since then, I’ve seen doors close for working-class musicians | Robert Ames
I have lost patience with the sector’s talk of diversity when it refuses to acknowledge those people who can’t afford to keep playingI’ve spent most of my adult life working in classical music – for the past 18 years as the co-founder and conductor of the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO), an organisation I’m stepping down from today. During that time, I have found myself increasingly angry at how much harder it has become for someone without money behind them to build a life in the sector.There used to be a route in. As a child from a working-class background, I could pick up an instrument at a state school, get cheap lessons through the local, council-backed music service and play in youth orchestras (borrowing a viola because my family couldn’t afford one).Robert Ames is a conductor and composer Continue reading...
theguardian.com
UK datacentres will create just 25% of jobs predicted by tech sector, analysis finds
Facilities likely to employ 10,400 workers, compared with 40,000 in industry estimates, thinktank saysDatacentres in the UK will create just a quarter of the jobs predicted by the tech sector, while consuming vast amounts of energy, according to new research.Environmental thinktank Verdant predicts that all the datacentres currently planned are likely to directly employ 10,400 workers – compared with the more than 40,000 cited in projections by the industry lobby group TechUK. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Singaporean man pleads guilty in US to massive crypto heist
Malone Lam and his associates used the proceeds of their crimes to fund a luxurious lifestyle, US authorities said.
bbc.co.uk
Cowboy builder tore my home apart and disappeared off the face of the Earth with £14k
Victims of cowboy builders describe how they were exploited with one couple left "scarred for life".
cnbc.com
The world's highest paid leader is set for a 64% pay rise. Here's how others compare
Wong announced ministerial salaries will be adjusted upwards after 15 years, with his annual pay package rising to 3.6 million Singapore dollars
cnbc.com
Chipotle's new restaurant in a hip Seoul neighborhood tests its Asian expansion strategy
Chipotle is making its Asia debut in South Korea through its first-ever joint venture for international expansion, with Singapore next in 2027.
cnbc.com
China's EV makers shift gears to focus on humanoids as car market slows
As Chinese electric car sales slow and share prices tumble, several of the automakers are ramping up humanoid robotics development.
theguardian.com
Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces
The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisisIn the words of Joni Mitchell, the planners of many urban centres around the world “paved paradise and put up a parking lot”. The European Prize for Urban Public Space tries to show that cities don’t have to be locked in the automotive age for ever.The prize’s latest shortlist, announced on Wednesday, highlights architectural projects that convert infrastructure for cars into spaces that help urban dwellers cope with the soaring temperatures of the climate crisis: roundabouts that have become splash pools, thoroughfares turned into green havens, and car parks into gardens. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Elon Musk’s ex-girlfriend accuses him of sowing ‘deliberate division’ on X - video
Elon Musk is sowing 'deliberate division' via his social media platform X that will be catastrophic unless regulated, the mother of one of the 14 confirmed children fathered by the world’s richest man has warned. In Musk, a new documentary by veteran film-maker Alex Gibney, former Maga influencer Ashley St Clair says Musk told her in a text message he wanted to have a child with her because he needed to have 'a legion of children before the civil war'. The couple had a son in 2024 but have since separated. St Clair says Musk’s team offered her a $40m lump-sum payment and a monthly stipend of $100,000 in return for her signing a non-disclosure agreement but withdrew the offer after she refused to sign itElon Musk told ex-girlfriend he needed ‘a legion of children before the civil war’ Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Hit TV show 'South Park' becomes 'South America' in apparent reference to Trump's geographic name changes
Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in a statement that they were "inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google."
theguardian.com
US bans Canadian dairy, alcohol and motorcycles as trade war escalates
Trump responds after Canada imposes $20bn in retaliatory tariffs and Canadian PM vows to diversify trade abroadThe US is banning dairy products, most alcoholic beverages and motorcycles from Canada, the White House said on Tuesday, as the trade war between the two neighbors and longtime allies escalates.The ban will take effect in three weeks and comes after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20bn in US imports earlier on Tuesday. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Should promotion depend on how workers use AI?
More companies are tying career progression to AI use: is that fair?
bbc.co.uk
I'm 27 and I've already written my will - here's why
For many young people making a will may not seem necessary, but here's why you shouldn't put it off.
theguardian.com
OpenAI claims to have solved maths problem that stumped humans for decades
Company behind ChatGPT says 10,000 of its AI systems cracked the Navier-Stokes problem in 88 hoursOpenAI claims to have solved a major mathematics problem that has stumped humans for nearly a century after spending millions of dollars on the artificial intelligence-led endeavour.The company behind ChatGPT said it had cracked the Navier-Stokes problem, one of seven Millennium Prize Problems published by the Clay Mathematics Institute to highlight some of the biggest unsolved puzzles in the field. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI says it cracked 90-year-old maths problem in 88 hours
OpenAI's claim that it solved parts of Navier-Stokes equations has quickly stirred controversy.
theguardian.com
Yes, cut red tape. But shareholder votes on boardroom pay are not ‘pointless admin’
Nothing good can come of ditching annual investor votes on remuneration reports or encouraging online-only shareholder meetingsThe government, like every other one in living memory, is on a mission to reduce red tape for business. The former chancellor Rachel Reeves promised “a blitz on bureaucracy” and “pointless admin” and here comes the business department with a 12-week consultation on “modernising corporate reporting to support long-term economic growth”.Never mind that cutting energy costs for business would, by an order of magnitude, do more to support growth than any bonfire of red tape ever will. The consultation is still worthwhile: clearing out accumulated clutter, exploring digital options and clarifying reporting “exemptions and exclusions” for small- and medium-sized companies could free up a bit of time for doing more business. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Ella Baron on the UK’s ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements – cartoon
Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Bank of England’s tricky balancing act in dealing with global bond shock | Letter
Complicated trade-offs raise the issue of whether the government needs to change its relationship to the Bank of England, says Prof Costas MilasYour editorial (The Guardian view on the global bond shock: Andy Burnham should take note, 1 September) implicitly suggests that the global bond shock will bring firmly into focus our government’s fiscal responsibility.Fiscal responsibility is a precondition for avoiding a further rise in the UK’s cost of borrowing. Nevertheless, fiscal policy has to be considered together with monetary policy. In fact, the current rise in UK yields poses a huge challenge for the Bank of England’s policymakers, who will make their next decision on UK interest rates on 17 September. This is when the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) will announce the amount of government bond sales (or quantitative tightening, QT) to be pursued over the next 12 months. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Are rich people really worse behaved? Here’s the science – video
Who’s more likely to steal sweets from a child? According to science, it’s the rich. A study seemingly confirming our suspicions about the moral behaviour of the wealthy was one of the winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel prizes, which honour research that makes you laugh and then think. Science editor Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what the researchers think could be behind the phenomenon, and they explore some of the other awards, including one for a surprising quality we look for in our friends and another for a biomechanical definition of kissing Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Borrowers expecting mortgage rates to drop have hopes dashed
Major lenders have raised rates on new deals in recent days, leaving many borrowers needing to make a decision.
bbc.co.uk
Carney says US trade war 'will come at a cost' as Canada strikes back on tariffs
Canada's levies - as high as 50% - will apply to nearly $20bn of US products, from steel to T-shirts.
theguardian.com
UK foreign secretary announces sanctions on trade with Israeli West Bank settlements – video
In the strongest condemnation ever issued by a UK government, Ed Miliband said it would take the official position that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank was unlawful in its entirety. The sanctions imposed include bans on goods from illegal settlements and adverts for land on the settlements will also be prohibited. Miliband said the measures would take up to nine months to come into effectUK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backingUK Politics live - latest updates Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Trump’s approval rating is plummeting – as his fortune grows and grows | Arwa Mahdawi
The US president says criticising his soaring investment portfolio is ‘very unfair’. Tell that to the millions of Americans struggling with the cost of livingIf I had a dollar for every time Donald Trump said something inane, I would be a very rich woman. But even with an income that steady, I could never hope to be as flush as the president. A Forbes calculation from March puts his net worth at about $6.5bn – and it’s growing rapidly. Trump made $2.2bn in 2025 via business interests that ranged from selling cryptocurrency and Trump Bibles to offering early access to his (often market-moving) Truth Social posts.To be fair, Trump isn’t making all this money just so he can buy golf clubs and gold toilets. No, he’s amassing these billions for the good of the little people; it’s altruism, not avarice! “I do this for our Country, not myself,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night alongside an AI-generated picture of him trading Intel stock. “I’ve made Hundreds of Billions of Dollars on Stocks, and many other type Holdings, for the U.S.A., not myself, and all I do is get criticized by the Radical Left Dumocrats. Very unfair, but what can you do!” Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Here in Liverpool, buses are back under public control – and that’s great for the only people who really matter | Steve Rotheram
For decades we were told that privatisation would deliver better services. The experience of millions of passengers tells a different storySteve Rotheram is mayor of the Liverpool city regionOne of the best-known scenes from the TV series The Inbetweeners is the four angst-ridden teenage characters shouting abuse at people queueing at a bus stop. Only losers take the bus, is the point – except they use a much ruder word. There’s also a statement, misattributed to Margaret Thatcher, that any man over the age of 26 using a bus was a loser. This idea is deeply ingrained.But when I was an MP it became obvious that there wasn’t the same stigma attached to jumping on the bus in London as there often was in other big cities. It often wound me up that the rest of the country was expected to accept a suboptimal public transport system – so much so that it could be joked that only losers would use it – while London retained its excellent bus service, which it ran under public control.Steve Rotheram is mayor of the Liverpool city region Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Argentina to file criminal case against oil company operating in Falklands
The move comes days after President Javier Milei stepped up Argentina's claims of sovereignty over the Falklands.
bbc.co.uk
'JLR job cuts a cause for uncertainty and worry'
Experts say they worry it could limit the company's ability to innovate in the future.
theguardian.com
‘Everything is against us’: Jaguar Land Rover suppliers voice fears amid carmaker’s cutbacks
Firms warn of impact of company’s decision to to axe 4,000 jobs and call for government to support sectorJaguar Land Rover confirms plan to cut 4,000 jobsDavid Roberts is not in an optimistic mood. The chair of Coventry-based Evtec may preside over a business with 900 highly skilled employees, multiple sites and precision machinery, but the outlook for the manufacturer appears tricky. “Everything is against us,” he says.Evtec is a “tier 1” supplier to Jaguar Land Rover, also headquartered in Coventry, which this week announced 4,000 job cuts over two years even as the chancellor, John Healey, attempted to talk up Britain’s growth prospects in his first big speech, just down the road. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
UK's third-biggest taxpayer to leave for Greece
Chris Rokos plans to open an office in Athens, reports say, and was ranked third in the Sunday Times's list of the UK's top taxpayers.
bbc.co.uk
AI will cure cancer in our lifetime, claims boss of UK chip giant
Arm Holding's chief executive Rene Haas says artificial intelligence will find a solution to the disease.
bbc.co.uk
'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work
The Balkan nation is aiming to become a new centre for medical tourism.
bbc.co.uk
The firms turning recruitment into X Factor-style competitions
Applicants have to pitch their ideas on stage in front of a panel of judges and an audience. But is this exciting or unfair?
bbc.co.uk
Scammers demand ransoms from Instagram users over fake copyright claims
Users say they are losing money or risk having their accounts suspended because Meta struggles to identify scammers.
theguardian.com
‘Trust deficit’: Why India’s economic data has sparked a furore
India’s statistical system once commanded respect, and its data on economic and social indicators was considered rigorous – that appears to have eroded• Don’t get This is India delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThere isn’t much that we Indians agree on these days. GDP numbers are no exception. Last week, India released glowing GDP numbers for the latest quarter – 7.8% growth – higher than the forecast 7%. It sparked a furore.Subhash Garg, a former finance secretary under Narendra Modi’s government and now a critic, reframed what Modi called a “herculean feat” as mere smoke and mirrors. According to Garg, the government revised last year’s current-price GDP downwards to inflate this year’s number – he believes the real growth is only 2.6%. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
I paid my Ulez charge, but I am still receiving threats from TfL
Transport for London has fined me and warned that if I don’t pay it will possibly destroy my carI paid the £12.50 London Ulez charge on my Amex card within hours of driving through the zone. I was then fined £90 for non-payment. According to my card issuer, Transport for London (TfL) had failed to collect the £12.50.TfL’s letter threatened a £180 fine, rising to £360, and possible destruction of my car, if I did not pay. My appeal was rejected. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Europe’s fighter jet plans are in disarray. What happens next?
While the UK and Italy are making progress, France and Germany’s joint venture came to nothing, and the prospect of more countries pulling together seems way offWhen the former European Central Bank president and Italian prime minister Mario Draghi laid out a plan for Europe to catch up economically with the US and China, collaborating on defence was one of the prescriptions. No more should each country in Europe try to make its own version of a boat, tank or jet but instead share costs and technologies between allies.Europe appears to have fallen at the first hurdle. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, were forced to cancel the joint future combat air system in June, after fraught efforts to work together since 2018. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
French winemakers forecast 30-year low harvest after severe drought and heat
Estimates suggest drop in production with vineyards also concerned ‘smoke taint’ from wildfires may affect qualityFrench vineyards hit by severe drought and heatwaves are expected to report a 30-year low in wine production after the country’s hottest ever recorded summer, according to the agriculture ministry.Initial estimates suggest winemakers will produce just under 34m hectolitres from this year’s harvest: a drop of 6% on last year, and 17% less than the 2021-2025 average. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
UK house prices fall for first time since 2023, led by London and south-east
Average property cost £298,468 in August, down by 0.4% year on year amid higher interest rates, says LloydsUK house prices have fallen for the first time in almost three years, as prospective buyers were squeezed by higher mortgage rates, geopolitical uncertainty and stretched affordability.Prices have dropped by 0.4% compared with a year ago, the first year-on-year decrease since November 2023, according to the lender Lloyds. That came in below expectations of a 0.2% annual rise, according to a poll of economists by Reuters. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The Gymnastics Academy changed my prepaid booking but said ‘no’ to a refund
I arranged for my daughter to attend three sessions during the school holidays but the venue and one of the dates were changedI booked my daughter for three sessions during the school summer holidays at The Gymnastics Academy. The reservation was made and paid for last November because of a promotional offer.In June, I received emails from The Gymnastics Academy, confirming a session for a venue I had not booked. I was concerned my account had been hacked. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
England’s housing courts at breaking point as renters battle no-fault evictions
Courts said to be ‘overloaded’ as landlords sell properties and tenants with nowhere to go try to delay evictionsIt is a Wednesday afternoon at Stratford housing court, and every seat in the waiting room is full. Over the next few hours, a conveyor belt of tenants and lawyers file into the courtroom to discuss their housing disputes – up to 29 cases are dealt with in a single day.In one case, a tenant is trying to buy more time after receiving a section 21 no-fault eviction earlier in the year, before they were banned. He has had no luck finding emergency housing with his local council. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Uncanny and unappetizing: appetites spoil as AI images take over food menus
Consumers are increasingly encountering AI-generated images on food menus such as leathery meat and bread resembling reptile skinDuring a recent lunch break, Jill Sennett saw something so unappetizing she had to share it with her 26,000 X followers: Artificial intelligence-generated menu images from a Jamaican barbecue pop-up restaurant in which the meats looked like leather belts crawling with tiny beetles.The images were reshared by more than 500 people who similarly expressed their disgust. Eating is “such an essential human experience”, said Sennett, a 37-year-old nurse in Denver. “I think it’s a bad cultural thing that restaurants are converting to these horrific, uncanny food images that are unappetizing.” Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Why a famous Montreal sandwich shop has been forced to swap its soda
Schwartz’s, one of Montreal’s most famous delis, has changed suppliers for its black cherry soda.
theguardian.com
The student loan scam looking to dupe already anxious students
Scammers hope to siphon off some of the £2.6bn in student maintenance funds paid out each SeptemberYou are about to start university and can’t wait but then you receive a worrying text message. It is a few days before the first student loan payment is due to land in your account and apparently someone has tried to alter your bank details.“Our records indicate that your bank details on your student finance account were changed on Friday 16th. If you did not do this please contact us immediately,” says the text. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Aviation faces hotter, stormier skies – and passengers might have to accept more disruption
Are people going to have to increasingly accept more delays and diversions as the effects of climate change intensify?
theguardian.com
‘The chancellor is in a bind’: is No 11 at odds with Burnham’s big vision?
MPs applaud PM’s ambition and optimism but John Healey has yet to show he can match leader’s radical perspectiveUntil now, Andy Burnham has been a lucky prime minister. In office for just over six weeks, no major domestic crisis derailed his plans over the summer, Reform has been on the back foot, and he arrived back at Westminster with his personal approval ratings soaring and optimism undampened.But underneath the sense of relief that many Labour MPs are feeling that their high-stakes gamble of ousting Keir Starmer appears – for now – to have paid off, there is an unease that Burnham’s premiership is yet to make contact with economic reality. Continue reading...
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Money Box
What can we expect from a major review of financial literacy?
bbc.co.uk
Consumer Fight Back
Rejected for PIP? Most tribunal appeals succeed. We ask why.
bbc.co.uk
How much can Canada fight back in its trade war with the US?
The US may be the bigger trading partner, but Canada shouldn't be counted out quite yet in the escalating trade fight.
bbc.co.uk
1986: Manchester's second-hand fashion mecca
Designer Jeff Banks visited Affleck’s Palace, an indoor emporium selling vintage clothing.
bbc.co.uk
Prosecco, cakes and beauty products - how to get birthday freebies and why there's a catch
Cake, coffee, make-up and burgers are just some of the free things you can get on your birthday.
bbc.co.uk
From 'dog fruit' to darling: India's avocado boom
Demand for avocados is booming in India and local growers hope to grab more of the market.
bbc.co.uk
Why wait? Business grads buying firms to install themselves as CEO
Impatient to be the boss of an established company they are borrowing money to fund their purchases.
bbc.co.uk
'My parents won't lend me £10k but helped my brother': When families play financial favourites
So-called financial favouritism can cause jealousy and resentment long into adulthood. Here is how experts say you can avoid it
bbc.co.uk
Overcooked? Why robotic pizza makers are failing
A string of failures has sapped confidence that robots will take over production at pizza restaurants.
bbc.co.uk
How Dolly Parton's business savvy helped her succeed far beyond the charts
While country music and films brought her fame, her entrepreneurial zeal brought her fortune.
bbc.co.uk
Firms scramble for battery power in Spain and Portugal
After last year's massive power failure Spanish and Portuguese firms are buying battery back ups.
bbc.co.uk
Drought leaves 'barely any apples' to make cider
Some orchards are harvesting just a 10th of their usual crop, and facing an uncertain future.
bbc.co.uk
'What you see is what you pay' - why some US restaurants are banning tips
Tips are central to US dining culture but some eateries think that they are unfair.
bbc.co.uk
How landscape gardening is being electrified
The switch to quieter electric equipment is not going as fast as some would like.
bbc.co.uk
Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters
Why is it taking so long for the government to regulate them, and what are the consequences of delay?
bbc.co.uk
Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension
Many younger people do not believe the state pension will exist when they are older
bbc.co.uk
The furious dispute over what caused Air India flight 171 to crash
The final conclusions of the investigation have yet to be published, although more could become apparent in the coming days.
bbc.co.uk
How the High Street became a window on our political instability
High Streets have declined in recent years. What does this tell us about the UK?
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